These amazing beaded baskets are miniaturized. This handmade rattan basket is covered with a geometric pattern of yellow, orange and pink beads. It is approximately 3 1/2 inches tall, yet it still shows the detail and intricate nature of larger baskets.
The artists are all women from a single village in Bali, where they are trying to maintain this traditional art. The group takes on apprentices and encourages the young to participate after school to both enable the skills to be transferred and help pay school fees. Using the “two-drop peyote” stitch, women and students turn sturdy rattan baskets into beaded works of art.
In an era of industrial machinery, electronics and synthetics, the artisans proudly hand bead brilliant geometric and floral patterns on every visible inch of the rattan basket, including the bottom. The artisans believe it is their responsibility to keep this valuable craft alive and allow the next generation to inherit the skills to reproduce the beautiful works.
